Former Levi’s President James Curleigh to be New Gibson CEO

Gibson has fallen on tough times as of late, particularly following the recent departure of their embattled former CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz. However, in a press release yesterday, the company announced that former Levi Strauss & Co. president, James ‘JC’ Curleigh will take the reigns as the new Gibson CEO.

Gibson has announced a string of new appointments to the company, including former Levi Strauss & Co. president James ‘JC’ Curleigh as new Gibson CEO.

The press release stated that the company aims to “collectively focus on setting the conditions for success for Gibson Brands to continue to create high-quality instruments, develop meaningful partnerships and deliver profitable growth across the core business of guitars and beyond”.

Other than James Curleigh as the new Gibson CEO, other appointments include Cesar Gueikian as CMO (chief merchant officer), Christian Schmitz as CPO (chief production officer), and Kim Mattoon as CFO (chief financial officer).

Gibson faced bankruptcy early this year, largely as a result of an unsuccessful venture into consumer electronics, and it remains to be seen if this new team will be able to save the iconic brand.

Curleigh stated that he has always been a fan of the brand and looks forward to steering the company in a positive direction.

“As a musician, I have always treasured my Gibson guitars and I have the utmost respect for the iconic Gibson brand and those who choose to play Gibson guitars,” said Curleigh. “Gibson has been a pioneer of craftsmanship and innovation in musical instruments and has been synonymous with shaping the sounds of generations and genres for more than 100 years. I am very honoured to play a leading role with this iconic brand.”

He continued: “As a business leader and a brand builder, this is the beginning of a new era for Gibson that will build on its proven heritage and iconic status. We are focusing on the future and off to a fresh start, with a strong financial foundation, a committed and experienced new leadership team and new ownership that is equally passionate about the brand.

As the industry leader, we have an opportunity and an obligation to set the best conditions for success for our brands, our fans, our partners and our own extended team. I look forward to leading Gibson confidently into the future.”